SMD-4 vs. 753/754?

[Jim Budler]

In article <156:dvorak at iam.unibe.ch> dvorak at iam.unibe.ch (Jiri Dvorak) writes:
> Recently, I tried to get an offer from our local Sun dealer for a 892 Disk
> with a xy753/7053.... 
> Two questions:
> - is 'SMD-4' just Sun's name for the 7053 or is it really different?

Sounds like a Marketing name to me...

The /etc/format.dat for SunOS 4.0 lists the Xylogics 7053 controller.  It
doesn't list anything like SMD-4.  The files in SunOS /sys/sundev refer to
xdc as a Xylogics 751/772/7053.  You decide.

> - has anybody successfully installed a SMD-4 in a 3.5 server? (and if
>   yes, how?)

Well, sorta. I bought an Xylogics 753 controller and a CDC 9720-850 from a
third party. They supplied a Sun type boot tape containing:

	1) standalone diag which knew about Xylogics 75x contollers
	2) standalone copy
	3) a Miniroot
	4) a tarfile containing:

		i)	stand/{diag,copy}
		ii)	usr/mdec/boot*
		iii)	sys	# partial, merge with Sun supplied

So I was able to format and to configure a SunOS 3.5 kernel, and my Sun
3/280 is chugging happily along with an added 850 meg drive, and the
controller and cabinet capacity to add 3 more. The next will probably be a
1.2 Gig drive, after that???

Comments:

Documentation was poor. Typical of third party drives, I believe.

SunOS 4.0 expects the controller to be at address ee80, while the
configuration file supplied for 3.x placed it at eed0. I moved it to ee80,
'cause I don't want to be pulling boards and changing jumpers when I
upgrade.

SunOS 4.0 calls the controller xdc.

The supplied software calls it xlc. Unimportant, I just thought I'd
mention it.

The supplied configuration file for SunOS3.X supports two 753's, while the
Sun supplied configuration file for SunOS 4.0 supports four 753's.

You may be able to buy the software from Xylogics even if you buy the
hardware from Sun. I don't know.

For you info. Here's the SunOS 4.0 format.dat entry I wrote for the
drive/controller.

disk_type = "CDC EMD 9720-850" \
        : ctlr = XD7053 \
        : ncyl = 1379 : acyl = 2 : pcyl = 1381 : nhead = 15 : nsect = 67 \
        : rpm = 3600 : bpt = 41088 : bps = 604

The SunOS 4.0 format program seemed unable to read the manufacturers
defects list from the drive. The standalone diagnostic was able to read
it, so I used that instead.

Not recommended for the first time third-part drive installer. The pain
and suffering prevented by the better documentation supplied by Sun
doesn't, however, quite cover the 2:1 price differential.

jim
-- 
Jim Budler   address = uucp: ...!{decwrl,uunet}!eda!jim OR domain: jim at eda.com